Quick answer: A Windsor–Detroit truck crossing has two costs, and they are easy to confuse. The toll is what you pay to use the bridge: about $43.75 USD (or $34.50 on Breakaway) for a five-axle truck on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, or $60.00 USD on the Ambassador Bridge without an account ($45.00 USD or less with an A-PASS or E-ZPass account). The eManifest is what you must file before you arrive — a CBP ACE manifest into the US, a CBSA ACI manifest into Canada. Skip the toll math and a load costs a little more; skip the eManifest and the truck doesn't cross.
Price the toll side with the Gordie Howe Bridge toll calculator; this article covers the compliance side.
The two-part cost of a crossing
| Component | What it is | Who charges it | When it's due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toll | Fee to use the bridge | Bridge operator (Gordie Howe / Ambassador) | At the crossing |
| eManifest | Advance electronic cargo manifest | CBP (ACE) / CBSA (ACI) | Before arrival |
The toll is a predictable line item you can put on a rate card. See the Gordie Howe toll guide for the full per-axle schedule, and our guide to tolls in Toronto, Ontario and Canada for Highway 407 and the other Ontario border crossings. The eManifest is a regulatory gate: no accepted manifest, no entry.
Entering the United States: CBP ACE
A truck crossing from Windsor into Detroit is entering the United States, so it files a CBP ACE eManifest. The manifest identifies the carrier, driver, conveyance, equipment, and every shipment on board, and it must be transmitted and accepted before the truck reaches the border — the standard lead time is at least one hour before arrival for truck cargo. Arriving without an accepted ACE manifest means the truck is turned back or held, and repeated failures invite penalties.
Entering Canada: CBSA ACI
A truck crossing from Detroit into Windsor is entering Canada, so it files a CBSA ACI eManifest — the Canadian equivalent under the Advance Commercial Information program. Same principle: the carrier transmits conveyance, cargo and, where applicable, crew data in advance, and CBSA must accept it before arrival. Getting an ACI acceptance (and, in Canada, avoiding AMPS penalties for late or missing data) is the difference between a green light and a secondary inspection.
The bridge doesn't change the filing
A point worth repeating because it saves drivers a bad afternoon at the booth: which bridge you use does not change your eManifest obligation. The Gordie Howe International Bridge, open to traffic since July 27, 2026, and the Ambassador Bridge land in the same two countries. What determines your filing is the direction — ACE into the US, ACI into Canada — not the pavement. Switching to Gordie Howe for the cheaper toll changes your cost, not your compliance.
Planning the true cost per load
For a Windsor–Detroit round trip, the all-in crossing cost a dispatcher should quote is:
- Outbound toll (e.g. Gordie Howe Breakaway, ~$34.50 USD for a 5-axle),
- Return toll (the crossing back), and
- eManifest handling — either your filing software/time or a service fee if a broker files for you.
Build all three into the lane before you accept it. In TruckerPro, the dispatch software does not price tolls on a load's route, so price the toll before you quote. When the toll bill arrives, you can enter it as a bill in the Tolls category, link it to the load and code each line to a truck, so the toll counts in the per-truck profit and loss report and, when the bill is in the load's currency, in that load's profit and loss. Feature availability varies by plan. BorderPro, a separate product, is in early access as of October 10, 2026: it prepares and checks ACE and ACI eManifest data, but its site says live manifests must still go through an authorized filing channel until it completes agency certification.
Sources were checked on October 10, 2026. Gordie Howe toll figures are from WDBA's official toll rates page; the bridge opened to traffic on July 27, 2026. One image on that page shows $8.60 USD per axle, while the page's calculator and WDBA's toll FAQ say $8.75 USD, which this article uses. Ambassador Bridge figures are the commercial tolls in effect since August 1, 2026, from the Ambassador Bridge commercial toll rates page. All rates are subject to change. eManifest requirements are set by CBP (ACE) and CBSA (ACI); confirm current lead times and data requirements with the respective agency.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to cross from Windsor to Detroit by truck?
The direct cost is the bridge toll. A five-axle truck pays about $43.75 USD ($34.50 USD on Breakaway) on the Gordie Howe Bridge. On the Ambassador Bridge, at the rates in effect since August 1, 2026, it pays $60.00 USD without an account, or $45.00 USD or less with an A-PASS or E-ZPass account. On top of that, you must file an eManifest before arrival: a CBP ACE manifest into the US or a CBSA ACI manifest into Canada. That is a compliance requirement, not a booth fee.
Do I need an eManifest to cross the Gordie Howe Bridge?
Yes. Every commercial truck must transmit and have accepted a CBP ACE eManifest before entering the United States, or a CBSA ACI eManifest before entering Canada. This is required on any Windsor–Detroit bridge, including the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, and is separate from the toll.
Is the eManifest the same on Gordie Howe and the Ambassador Bridge?
Yes. The manifest requirement depends on the direction of travel and the country you are entering, not on which bridge you use. ACE for entering the US, ACI for entering Canada — identical on both crossings.